Effect of Temperature and Zooplankton Abundance on Growth and Survival of Larval Threadfin Shad

As a test of the match–mismatch hypothesis, we examined the effects of prey availability and water temperature on growth and survival of weekly cohorts of larval threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense in J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir, Georgia–South Carolina. Hatching dates were estimated from otolith increments, and availability of prey was estimated from the abundance of zooplankton size‐classes commonly eaten by larval threadfin shad. Growth rates of 31 cohorts ranged from 0.39 to 0.78 mm/d, demonstrating the potential for stage‐duration effects on cohort survival. Daily growth rate was related to water temperature and prey availability for larvae up to 21 d old. Growth increased linearly with water temperature up to 28°C, but the relation between growth and prey availability was more complex. Growth rate increased with prey density up to 160–290 organisms/L; at higher densities, growth rate decreased or was unchanged. Cohort survival ranged from 0.65 to 0.96 (per millimeter increase in length) and was significantly correlated with water temperature and growth rate but not with prey availability.